Q: What are the various submission charges for Anticancer Research?

It’s great that you are looking to publish a paper for the first time, and you have some really valid points and queries. Author guidelines for most journals are numerous and not always easy to grasp, especially for first-time writers, that too, those not entirely comfortable with English. That said, you seem to have done a good enough job already. :) So, let’s see how we can help you close your submission. To make it easier, we have responded to each of your queries separately.

What is the submission fee for the journal?

The journal is a subscription-based publication. That is, there is a cost for readers to view/read the main articles in the journal. However, there is no cost for authors to publish in the journal, except for an excess number of pages and for color images (as you have mostly accurately understood).

Where can you find the information for the cost of having extra pages and color images published / printed?

This, as you have probably located yourself, is to be found on the Instructions for Authors 2021 page here. It may be opened / viewed by clicking Authors in the Info for menu on the journal home page: Home page > Info for > Authors. On the page, the information for the different questions you have is located in different sections, as explained below.

What is the page limit beyond which you will need to pay charges?

As it mentions in the Manuscripts section on their Instructions for Authors 2021 page, “Submitted manuscripts exceeding 4 printed pages will be subject to excess page charges.” As they have elaborated soon after that, “The 4 printed pages correspond approximately to twelve (12) document pages (~250 words per double-spaced typed page in Arial 12), including abstract, text, tables, figures, and references.” In other words, the manuscript you submit has to be about 3,000 words long, including the abstract, main text, tables, figures, and references. They have further below in the Manuscripts section mentioned the limit for the abstract (150 words). So, you should try and keep your manuscript within this length. However, if it exceeds by just a bit (say, 100 words), don’t worry – that can be handled during reviews.

What is the limit for color images beyond which you will need to pay charges?

As it states in the Figures section of the Instructions for Authors 2021 page, “Pages that include color figures are subject to color charges.” This means that all color images will incur charges, be it, for example, one image or four. However, they haven’t mentioned the exact charge for each image. So, it would be best for you to write to the journal about this. You may do so through the Contact Us page here. However, a better option would probably be the email ID provided in the Submission of Manuscripts section on the Instructions for Authors 2021 page: journals@iiar-anticancer.org [As it states in the section, “Questions regarding difficulties in using the online submission system should be addressed to” the above mail ID.]

We hope we have been able to address all your queries. In case of further queries, do feel free to reach out to us again. All the best for a speedy, successful manuscript submission!

…

As further help, you may wish to learn about the following products / solutions aimed at making journal communication and journal submission easier for you.

Email templates handbook > For writing to the journal in a variety of scenarios, you may find it helpful to refer to the templates in this handbook from R Upskill, a related brand providing learning programs for researchers: How To Communicate With The Journal? The handbook includes templates for a variety of real-life scenarios, from making a presubmission inquiry (like the one for finding out the color image charges suggested above) to seeking an update on the status.

Manuscript assessment checks > For ensuring you are submitting a manuscript that is complete in every way, you may find it useful to know about the manuscript assessment checks provided by R Pubsure, an AI-powered tool that helps you optimize your manuscript for submission. The tool checks your manuscript for various aspects, including language, structure, authorship, and declarations. It gives you a report, based on which you can work to improve your manuscript for submission, thus helping you avoid or even minimize desk rejection. You may learn more about R Pubsure here and view a sample report here.